


Broken like me

by MissRai



Category: Naruto
Genre: Drama & Romance, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-08
Updated: 2018-05-10
Packaged: 2019-04-19 22:46:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14247345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissRai/pseuds/MissRai
Summary: Never in her wildest imagination did she think she would meet someone broken and lonely like her. When she stared into his eyes, she could see how much he needed someone. But how could she insert herself in his isolated circle? She desperately wanted to be his friend. Wanted to see him smile.





	1. Freedom

**Author's Note:**

> Firstly, I don't own Naruto or anything affiliated with it. In my stories, I don't censor anything. That includes violence, profanity and the like, so I apologize in advance if it offends anyone. This is a Gaara fanfic I've head in my head for a very long time but just never got around to writing it. So here it is. I apologize if it seems my character is over powered but I assure you, she has weaknesses and will be addressed in later chapters. I had to get her background over with or the story wouldn't make much sense. I'm sorry if this first chapter is dry but I hope to make it more exciting later. This story will be more on comfort, friendship and fluff. I'm not that great at action scenes. Anyway, I hope you enjoy and comments are always appreciated.

Sigyn's grandfather, Ragnar Berg, was abused as a child and his ninjutsu exploited for monetary gain. As a teenager, he managed to escape those who held him hostage. When they realized he was gone, they searched endlessly for him. During the confrontation, Ragnar refused to be recaptured, tortured and humiliated once more. He was severely outnumbered but he had a very special technique hidden away. As an Earth ninjutsu user, he could wield the forbidden technique 'Earthquake.' This outlawed move was taboo among the Earth users for its devastating effects.  
Regardless, Ragnar refused to be imprisoned and used said jutsu on his enemies, killing all but one, who managed to escape the carnage. Since then, Sigyn's grandfather had been on the run, for the one who escaped, reported what happened to the local authorities. Ragnar was labeled a serial killer and extremely dangerous. He was to be apprehended and hanged immediately. Leaders from all neighboring villages including Konoha, Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and Kumogakure, all had bounties on Ragnar's head. They sent ANBU, bounty hunters and very skilled ninja to find him but they all came up empty.  
As the years passed and Ragnar became more skilled in his jutsu, he made a comfortable living with the diamonds he was able to produce, thanks to his special kekkei genkai. Eventually, he married a beautiful young woman from Kumogakure, the village hidden in the clouds. She was no ninja, no special talents and she didn't come from a wealthy family. Her name was Erika. She was a loving and devoted wife to Ragnar and for a time, they were very happy. Together, they had a child. A little girl named Misa.  
Around when little Misa was 10 years old, Ragnar, now a wealthy business man in the diamond and precious jewels trade, had acquired many enemies. People who were still perusing him for the murders of those men many years ago and other jealous business men who could not fathom how he was able to quire such wealth so quickly. Fearing the worst for his family, Ragnar, using his special Earth jutsu and kekkie genkai, created an underground city. The village hidden within the Earth.  
Safe from outsiders, Ragnar personally invited people, whom he thought worthy, to live in his city. It was made up mostly from people of a poor background. People down on their luck or who wanted a fresh start. Slowly, it grew and grew into a large, thriving community. However, every single person who was invited or born in the city had to swear an oath of secrecy. No one was to know of the village hidden within the Earth. People could come and go from the outside as they pleased but had to make sure they were not followed, lest the village be discovered.  
Greed and darkness is present in every human heart. Ragnar knew and understood this. He was not immune to such emotions but tried to understand them. It was greed that overtook the heart of one of his villagers. The man in question was promised a life of luxury if he would show the exact location of Ragnar's underground village. It was one of the wealthy business men, named Jiro, looking to kill and take over everything Ragnar had. Unfortunately he succeeded. Sending waves of ANBU and skilled ninja, they raided the underground village and murdered everyone in sight. Once they found Ragnar, they murdered his wife in front of him. He put up a good fight but refused to use his most powerful attack that had saved his life so long ago. He thought his people were still alive and did not want to cause their death by using 'Earthquake.' If he did, he would be burying everyone alive and he refused to murder innocent people. He died at the hands of an ANBU taking orders from Jiro, who paid for Ragnar's murder. Ragnar was beheaded.  
Ragnar's daughter Misa, was about 32 when this happened. She had a six year old daughter named Sigyn with a wealthy man. The man, once he found out Misa was pregnant, left her for another wealthy woman and Misa was devastated. Hating the child within her, Misa begged her mother and father to be able to get rid of the child. Ragnar forbid it and he kept an ever watchful eye on his daughter to make sure she didn't harm the baby. Much to Misa's displeasure, she did go full term and gave birth to a little girl whom Ragnar named Sigyn, after his mother, since Misa refused to even look at the child.  
Unfortunately for little Sigyn, Misa was not the loving mother Ragnar had hoped her to be. Often neglectful to the little girl, Misa was more concerned about flaunting her wealth and status than spend time with the baby. Misa had not acquired her father's kekei genkai nor did she have a desire to become a ninja. She was more interested in the rich parties and material possessions she could gather with her father's wealth.  
While she was out partying, Sigyn would spend time with her grandfather. For it was she who inherited not only Ragnar's keke genkai but his natural Earth ninjutsu ability. The keke genkai being of unlimited chakra. She could, like her grandfather, absorb chakra from any living thing, including but not limited to, trees, earth, people, animals, etc.. This allowed them both to create extreme pressure and heat needed for the creation of gemstones, among other things. At such an early age the girl could do many of the jutsu's Ragnar had only begun to learn as a teen. She caught on quickly to his teachings and was determined to prove herself worthy to her grandfather. Needless to say, she was not close to her mother and had no idea of who her father was, nor did she really care. It was Ragnar and his wife Erika who Sigyn truly cared for.  
When Ragnar's murder took place, Misa had begged for her life to Jiro but he laughed and ordered the ANBU to murder her as well. As a last bargaining chip, Misa used her daughter Sigyn. She told Jiro of the little girl's abilities. Sigyn could create diamonds and other precious jewels using her kekei genkai and earth jutsu combined. However, Jiro forced Misa to sign over all of Ragnar's wealth, as his only living relative other than Sigyn, it all was passed down to her. Misa agreed, thinking her life would be spared but Jiro killed her once all documents were signed. Sigyn was now in custody of Jiro as his adoptive daughter.  
Jiro noticed Sigyn had exceptional talent when it came to Earth jutsu and just as Misa had said, the girl could generate diamonds and other jewles. This, he realized, was how Ragnar accumulated all his wealth. With the creating and selling of precious stones. Jiro was now one of the worlds most wealthy men. He would force Sigyn to produce gemstone after gemstone daily and if the girl would refuse or not meet her quota, she would be beaten and abused just as her grandfather, Ragnar, had been. He sparsely mentioned once to the little girl of the abuse he endured as a child. Meant as a warning to her about revealing her special talents, Sigyn was angered at her beloved grandfather's mistreatment. As a result, the girl gained a natural hatred of humans and preferred to be alone.  
The three years that followed, Jiro converted the once peaceful underground village, into a thriving community for criminals and shady business dealers. It was still a place hidden from the general public but instead of the honest, hardworking people trying to forge a new life for themselves, it became a haven for black markets and unlawful commerce. There was even sex trafficking and drug dealing.  
Jiro refused to let her leave the confines of her bedroom, which was more a prison cell than anything else. She was surrounded by steel and therefore could not escape. Sigyn had problems dealing with refined earth like steel and metal, she could not bend them to her will so easily, if she did try, it would require a tremendous amount of chakra. Something Jiro had deprived her of. He would only supply the girl with small amounts of certain minerals and rocks for the sole purpose of Sigyn creating gemstones for him.  
He had starved her and forbade her to see the light of day. As a result, her naturally tanned skin had become pallid and sickly. Her dark hair and eyes had lost their luster. Due to the lack of hygiene, Sigyn wasn't going to pretend that she didn't smell bad. Her unkempt hair was so long it reached just below her butt. Though she kept it in a long braid. She had lost quite a bit of weight and appeared emaciated. Her attire consisted of a large baggy black T-shirt and matching pants. Made of very thin material, the girl had a hard time keeping warmth within her. Sleep was difficult, as she had no bed, resting on the hard, cold, dingy floor caused her to toss and turn all night, which resulted in dark circles around her eyes.  
Sigyn was able to keep her sanity by creating 'friends' of sorts. She hid and gathered little bits and pieces of rock that were left over after creating jewels for Jiro. With those and using her earth jutsu, she could summon miniature golems. Her only form of company. Though they could not speak, they offered the girl something valuable. A sort of friendship and temporary cure to her loneliness.  
In this depressing darkness, as the years passed, Sigyn learned a special ability all on her own. She could see in the darkness. Though she could not practice her earth ninjutsu, she ripped off a piece of her shirt and used it as a blindfold. When her bare skin, preferably hands and feet, touched the cold floor, she would put the blindfold on and allowed her other senses to take over. She would scan the surrounding area using her chakra like a radar, or a bat using sonar. Sigyn could pin point where objects, including people, were at any present time. There was little to nothing that restricted her. If it emitted chakra, the girl could see the object like infrared. No one knew of this but her and she had no intention of letting anyone find out. This ability, she figured, might one day help her escape this hell.  
Eventually however, all the abuse, beatings, amid other intimidation tactics, had broken her down. She had come to the conclusion that she had no reason to live. Nothing to give her a willingness to keep breathing and looking forward to another day. Thinking of herself as the lowest possible thing to exist, she thought this was her fate. This was her life. Her mother didn't want her, no one tried to help her and the few people she would have contact with, treated her with hatred and disgust. How she dearly missed her grandfather. Watching his head bounce off the floor and roll down to land at her feet, was etched into her brain.  
Her thoughts of escape didn't come back until recently. She overheard two of Jiro's henchmen talking about their children and how they wanted to become ninja. The chunin exams would be held in three years time and the kids were excited to participate. They spoke of the pride and joy they felt with their kids. Jealousy surged within the girl. Rage bubbled and uncontrollably erupted. Today was the day she would escape.  
Sigyn concentrated and was able to absorb the mens' chakra, causing them to fall to their knees in a weakened state. Using her newly gained chakra, she concentrated it around her hands and effortlessly pried apart the bars of her cell creating an opening. Only her confines were made of steel, for Sigyn needed to have physical contact with the earth in order to control it. Now that she was out and surrounded by earth, nothing could stop her.  
"Iron maiden." She whispered and created quick hand signs. Two human shaped earth containers, resembling coffins, formed from the surrounding earth. Once fully structured, their doors swung open. Within were hardened spikes made of earth, long enough to pierce a human but not cause immediate death, rather, to let the victim die of blood loss. The men tried to crawl to get away from her but two large hands made of earth shot up from beneath them and held onto them like rag dolls.  
She stared into the fearful eyes of the two men screaming for help. With one swift motion of her right hand, she sent them flying into the coffins and the doors slammed shut. All that was heard were muffled screams and a moment later, silence. Sigyn calmed her breathing and regained her composure. She needed a clear head to escape.  
With her bare feet hitting the cold ground and a quick sprint, she silently made her way down hallways and stairs. Every now and then she encountered some of Jiro's henchmen. The girl would absorb all their chakra causing them to faint or become weakened. She then opened a hole in the floor and they fell in, hitting the ground below with a loud 'thump' noise. She needed to store up as much chakra as she could for her final attack on Jiro and his cursed city. He took everything from her, family, love and dignity. She would repay the favor.  
Finally arriving at her destination, the girl stood before the large double doors leading into Jiro's conference room. Taking a deep breath and gathering as much courage as she could muster, the girl kicked in the door. They fell, unhinged and creating a thunderous noise. Jiro was in the middle of a business meeting with some men Sigyn deemed to be shady entrepreneurs.  
"What the hell?!" Jiro turned to face her. Leering at her he continued, "Who let you out of your cage, worm?" Sigyn said nothing and only glared with hatred and rage.  
"What kind of game are you playing Jiro?!" One of the men, clearly irritated, asked.  
"I don't know what kind of show she's trying to put but it ends now." Jiro motioned to some henchmen behind him and pointed to the girl. "Get her the hell out of here and fix those doors!"  
In a split second Sigyn slammed her thin, bony, right hand down to the floor and whispered, "Earth release, Golem!" Medium sized golems materialized from the floor and quickly captured every person in the room. With a sort of bear hug-type hold, the golems were keeping everyone in place.  
"My grandfather always told me to be a good girl. To always be kind to others. Sympathy and understanding are key to living an honest life." Jiro looked at the girl in horror and anger but was not allowed to speak, thanks to his golem placing a rock hand over his mouth. "He said that no matter what happens, no matter how bad things may become, never give into evil. Never give into the demon that lurks within the human heart." Sigyn formed a few hand signs and stared Jiro straight into his eyes. "Look at me." She took a step closer to the man. "LOOK UPON THE DEMON YOU CREATED!" She screamed and Jiro flinched. "You took everything from me. Locked me up and tortured me. Now you will die at the hands of your monster. Earth release, earthquake magnitude five." She snapped her fingers and the earth began to shake.  
Almost immediately, the ground beneath their feet started to rumble and vibrate. Jiro's muffled screams were drowned out by the roar of falling boulders and crumbling city walls. People down in the city started to flee for safety but Sigyn had scanned the whole area with her chakra and sealed off the exits with boulders and rubble. She would have them all suffer as she did. Giving into her darkest desires, she would murder every man, woman and child without empathy. No one cared about her, why should she spare them?  
The girl commanded one of the golems to force Jiro down to the floor. She walked up to him and whispered in his ear,"Your city will die with you." Then, placing a hand on a nearby wall, she melded within the earth. Sigyn could easily climb out onto the surface using a tunnel system. This was nothing for her. Ragnar and Sigyn would play hide-n-seek this way. He would create elaborate underground passages for the girl to follow him through and find him. Getting out and avoiding the devastation of the city would be no problem.  
Easily tunneling her way out to the surface, Sigyn could feel the vibrations of the underground earthquake. She had yet to be able to master the technique and knew if she didn't reach the outside soon, the earth would swallow her too. Finally breaking through the last bit of rock, the girl poked her head out like a groundhog. She was immediately welcomed with rain pouring down on her head. The girl quickly climbed out onto the solid surface and turned around to see what was left of her once home and prison.  
An incredibly large sinkhole had formed, at least a sixty mile radius, possible more. Sigyn had just made it out of the impact area. The rain, it seemed, would last a while. Hopefully, it would rain long enough to fill the sinkhole, that resembled a meteor impact, and transform it into a lake. Her transgression could then be hidden from the world and only she would know of its existence.  
A sense of relief had washed over her. Now soaking wet to the bone, the girl began to shiver. A light breeze had brought her back from her deep thoughts and now fully realized she was out. She was no longer a prisoner in that underground hell. The girl could smell the wet earth and feel the water making her skin slick and creating goosebumps. Looking down at her bare, dirty feet, she could see the dark green grass tickling her skin as it swayed back and forth in the wind. It was dark out, the moon shining brilliantly and casting soft light all around her but Sigyn had no idea what time it was. Locked up for so long, unable to see the light of day, she soon lost track of all sense of time. She was fully awake, whether it was the adrenaline coursing through her veins, or her sleep schedule messed up, the girl was by no means sleepy.  
She took deep breaths, trying to calm herself. That technique took a lot, if not all, her chakra and she was out of breath. Feeling tired, a headache started to form and weak from her malnutrition, panic now started to set in. Looking in all directions, all she saw were trees, boulders and grass. No signs of people. The girl could have used her chakra to double check for any signs of life but wanted to conserve what little energy she had left.  
Sigyn knew if she didn't find shelter soon, she would freeze. This isn't how she wanted to die. In all honesty, she hadn't thought of a clear plan. Perhaps subconsciously she didn't think she would make it this far. 'I need warmth,' She thought. It was then that she heard some rustling a few feet in front of her. Startled, Sigyn took a defensive stance. Inwardly she prayed she didn't have to fight, for she didn't have the energy to do so. Sigyn had hoped the commotion from the earthquake had not attracted on lookers but it seemed it had.  
Out from behind a tree came a tall man. She couldn't see very well in the darkness but could tell he had dark hair and dark eyes. He wore a strange headband that covered the sides of his face and the girl could make out he was from Konoha. Thankfully, Ragnar had taught the girl about the neighboring villages so she recognized the leaf symbol. He wore, what she thought to be, standard ninja attire. To her, he didn't look menacing but one could never be too careful. The man stared at her for a moment before taking a step closer.  
"Don't move!" Sigyn called out to him. "Don't move any closer or I'll kill you!" She threatened. The girl knew she wouldn't stand a chance if he attacked. However, she thought if she seemed scary enough, maybe he would leave her alone. Her scary, yeah right, still, at least she tried. He didn't say anything though he stopped moving. Tilting his head slightly to the right, he stared at her, eyes unblinking. A solemn expression evident on his handsome features.  
Without warning, the girl felt a wave of lightheadedness hit. Her defensive stance wavered. She tried regaining her posture but failed. Before she knew it, everything went dark and she fell. The last thing she remembered was the sound of footsteps nearing and stopping beside her. The rain hitting her face violently trying to drown her and then someone lifting her up gently.


	2. New life

When Sigyn woke, she found herself surround by an unfamiliar setting. It was a well furnished home and by the looks of it, made of wood. Not a house but more a cabin. Nothing too fancy, it had a  pleasantly comfortable and cozy aura. She was sitting up in a bed she didn't recognize and was taking in her surroundings when the nearby door creaked open.   
Her head immediately turned to the sound and there, at the entrance, stood the same man she saw before blacking out. Sigyn remained silent but observed the man cautiously. She was afraid of breathing in too deeply and arousing hostility from said man. However, he stood there, just staring at her for a moment before speaking.  
"Glad to see you're up." He closed the door behind him and walked over to a small table in the corner of the cabin. Placing a bag down, he turned to look at her once more. She hadn't moved, still eyeing him carefully. "You've been asleep for three days. For a second, I thought you might be dead." He walked over to the girl and she flinched back.   
Sighing, he rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you. Names Yamato." He extended his hand to her for a handshake but she just stared at him. Yamato could tell she was frightened so he backed up a few steps. "Whenever you're ready to tell me what happened to you, I'll be here."   
Sigyn clutched the bed sheets tightly. She was thinking of weather to tell him or not. He was a stranger. How was she supposed to know whether or not he would hurt her? Or worse, imprison her like Jiro had. She tried to form words. To tell him to let her go. She would figure something out on her own but the words never escaped her lips. They formed but could not go past her throat.   
"Well you look rather malnourished." Yamato was now over by a small kitchen next to the dinning table. "If you try to escape, so be it but you wont get far in your current state." He started making something in a pan that Sigyn couldn't make out. Whatever it was, started sizzling and the smell was heavenly. "I won't keep you here against your will." He was stirring now. "But if you'd like to stay here, you'll have to eventually tell me what happened to you."   
Sigyn contemplated this for a moment. She was still unsure if he was trust worthy. The girl hadn't met anyone, other than Ragnar and his wife Erika of being so. Her grandfather had warned her never to reveal her talents to anyone, for they might take advantage of her. She was so afraid and nervous. She wanted to trust him. She wanted someone to confide in but was so terrified of the repercussions it might cause. Tired of being alone, the girl just wanted one person she could connect with.   
Yamato finished cooking and made his way over to the girl. Sitting at her bedside he showed her the plate of food he just made. It was stir fried veggies and beef. Simple yet smelled wonderful. The girls stomach growled indicating the hunger she tried to suppress.   
"It's not poisoned, I promise." He smiled softly at her. This time, she was able to get a good look at him. His hair was a dark brown and eyes seemed scary but reminded her of Ragnar. Dark eyes hiding kindness. She stared at him without a word. Sighing once more, Yamato took a bite of the stir fry, chewed and swallowed. "There. See?" He offered her the plate once more and she greedily took it. Sigyn scarfed down the plate in two minutes flat, nearly choking at one point. Yamato chuckled and offered her a glass of water, which she took at once.   
"Tomorrow, we'll go to town and get you some proper clothes, have you meet the Hokage and see what we can do with you. Does that sound reasonable?" At the mention of the Hokage, Sigyn's ears perked up. She remembered her grandfather speaking of the Hokage many times. They were good friends. Finally, someone she could trust. If Ragnar trusted him with his secrets then perhaps she could too. She nodded a 'yes' to Yamato and he smiled once more.   
"Good. For now try to get some more rest and we'll leave first thing in the morning."   
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.  
The walk to Konoha, very early in the morning, was mostly silent and short lived. The village was only a few hours away from Yamatos' cabin. Sigyn refused to speak and Yamato figured it was best to stop pestering her. When she wanted to, she'd talk. Finally reaching the village, Sigyn took a step back and stared up at the two large, closed doors. She'd never seen anything like it. Anxiety started to build within her and Yamato placed a hand gently on her shoulder.   
"Don't be nervous." He smiled softly at her. She was begining to like that smile, though she wouldn't admit it. The girl gave him a curt nod and stared back at the doors. Yamato walked up to them and knocked. They slowly opened just enough for another man to peek his head through.   
"Yamato! You're back early." The man greeted and let them both through. Sigyn was overflowing with anxiety and with an  unanticipated gesture, she clung onto Yamatos' arm. He was surprised at her sudden contact with him but relaxed a moment after. She was afraid, he could tell and so decided to let her do whatever eased her.   
The two men guarding the gate gave Yamato a strange stare, as if to ask who she was. He merely smiled and said, "It's alright, she's with me." Both men looked at each other briefly and shrugged. Sigyn continued to hold onto him tightly.  
As they walked through the village, Sigyn kept staring in awe at the tall buildings, their architecture fascinating her. She'd never seen anything like it before. Trees, it seemed, were Incorporated into peoples homes and it was beautiful.   
"You like it?" Yamato continued to look forward but could see the girl in his peripheral vision. She took a quick glance at him and nodded 'yes.' "Good, I'm glad." They walked for a few minutes before the male stopped in front of a clothing store. "Alright, let's get you some proper clothes."   
Sigyn released his arm and finally spoke. "No." Her voice was soft and sweet but hardly audible.   
"Ah, so she can speak." Yamato teased and the girl frowned at him. "Why not then?"   
"I don't... I don't want you spending money on me." She was staring down at her bare feet. They were dirty and she tried to hide her toes.   
"If it makes you feel better, you can pay me back when you're able." He opened the door and held it open for her, as a gesture for the girl to walk in. She stared for a moment before deciding that was an acceptable compromise.   
It didn't take long for the girl to chose seven outfits and four pairs of shoes. Two sets of pajamas, three sets of regular clothes and two sets of ninja attire that Yamato insisted she would need. She acquired two pairs of sneakers and two pairs of closed ninja sandals. It goes without saying, the final total was more than the ANBU ninja was expecting. He asked the girl to change into one of her outfits so she was presentable when she met the Hokage. The girl quickly ran into the changing room and came back out wearing a pair of black jeans, a simple blood red t-shirt and her new pair matching red sneakers. Once everything was paid for, Yamato grabbed the bags and carried them for the girl. She opposed to his kindness but he ignored her.   
A few more minutes of walking and admiring buildings, Yamato glanced down at the girl and realized her hair was in a rather messy, long, side braid. "Would you be opposed to a haircut?" He asked nonchalantly. Sigyn subconsciously started playing with her braid. It's true that her hair had become rather unruly. It was thin and coarse with the ends splitting badly.   
"I really need one." She whispered more to herself than a reply to his question. Yamato nodded and brought her to a local hair dresser. The girl undid her braid before sitting and Yamato realized her hair was longer than he thought. The girl spoke with the woman who would be cutting her hair and asked for a shoulder length cut. Nodding, the woman proceeded with the styling.   
About an hour in, the transformation was done. Sigyn appeared more presentable now. Her hair, it seemed, was rather curly. It looked a little shorter than what it was due to the curls scrunching up a bit. Still, it just hit her shoulders in elegant waves and curls. Her dark hair still needed to regain it's luster and flair but that would be achieved once the girl had a better diet.   
Sigyns' eyes were more pronounced now. They shone like emeralds in the sun with a soft touch of brown. Very earthy Yamato thought. He could also tell her spirits were lifting if only for a bit. She wasn't hunched over and staring at her feet as much as before. She had relaxed a bit and was actually speaking to him.   
"After speaking with the Hokage, what do you say we grab some lunch?" Sigyn nodded eagerly. There was no point in hiding she was hungry. About twenty minutes after the hairdresser, they finally reached the Hokage's office. Anxiety once again crawling its way into Sigyn. The girl was holding onto her arm in an attempt to ease her nerves.   
"I'll be with you the whole time, I promise." Yamato reassured her. Sigyn stared up at him for a moment before replying with an 'ok.' Making their way inside, they were greeted with other ninja who directed them up to the Hokage's office. Knocking loudly, they heard someone say 'come in' from the other side of the heavy double doors.   
There was a tall old man dressed in red and white robes. He was standing in front of a large window overlooking a monument. When he turned to greet the pair, Sigyn noticed he was smoking a pipe. He had a kind face she thought. Taking his seat at his desk, he asked, "This is the girl you mentioned?" He was looking at Yamato.  
"Yes. As I stated, I found her near the crater zone. Thankfully unharmed by the earthquake."   
At that statement, the girl became extremely nervous. Yamato knew it was an earthquake that had created the huge hole in the earth. He never brought it up at any time she was with him. Her hands started to sweat in fear and she was feeling queasy. She wanted to get out of here. Dreading they would imprison her once they figured out she was the cause of the earthquake, she needed to escape this place. The girl took a rather large gulp of spit that formed in her mouth and the hokage noticed.  
"It's alright child, you're safe here." He stared at her for a moment before continuing. "If my hunch is correct, you're Ragnar Berg's granddaughter yes?"   
Her heart skipped a beat. He knew her grandfather. That meant that the stories Ragnar told her about him were true. He was trustworthy and Sigyn was able to relax. She nodded and stared back at the old man.   
"Sigyn right? Ragnar has told me much about you. How is he by the way? It's been a long time since I last saw him." At that, the girls' eyes began swelling with tears. She didn't want to cry but the memories of what happened came flooding in quickly.   
It was about an hour that the girl spilled her story to the hokage. How they imprisoned her, killed ragnar, her mother not wanting her etc. Yamato stayed for her story, out of curiosity and to offer support. He thought, perhaps, his presence there would ease her into divulging information. As he listened to the girls' ordeal, he could feel his heart twist in pain for her. She had suffered a great deal, perhaps more than she led on and yet she tried to keep a strong front.   
The hokage was intently listening to Sigyn as well. The last time he saw his old friend Ragnar, they had left on good terms. He was sure he would see him again soon but the day never came. The hokage remembered how fondly Ragnar spoke of his granddaughter. About her powers and abilities. Ragnar was afraid the girl would be exploited just as he had been and unfortunately it happened. Guilt resided within him. He should have checked on his old friend, made sure that he was ok after the several attempts to reach him failed. Now, because of his negligence, he died and his granddaughter suffered a great deal.   
Sigyn was silent for a moment before continuing. Should she tell them what she did? How she escaped? Would she be imprisoned for life? Her heart sped up and her stomach twisted and churned with anxiety. Before she could decide, the hokage spoke.  
"Whatever is troubling you, you can tell me. Rest assured your secrets are safe with Yamato and I. We want to help you as much as we are able." His kind words gave the girl the courage she needed to share the last bit of information.  
Hesitating a moment, the girl told them how she managed to escape. What she did to the two guards watching over her and how she used the forbidden technique. She told them everything up to the point where Yamato found her. Her eyes were cast down, unable to meet their gaze out of shame and remorse.   
Sighing heavily, the hokage stood from his chair and stared out a window overlooking the village. His back to Yamato and the girl, he was in deep thought. A few minutes later, he cleared his throat and turned to Sigyn. "If it's alright with you, I shall appoint Yamato as your legal guardian. He will train you in the ninja arts and if and when he feels you are ready, you can take the chunin exams. He will provide everything you need and if you ever want someone to confined in, you are always welcome to speak with me."   
Yamato shot the hokage a look of uncertainty but would direct his questions once Sigyn was out of the room. The girl thought about his offer for a moment. She had nowhere to go to. No family she could stay with. Yamato didn't seem so bad and if anything ever happened, she could go to the hokage. Besides, what was she to do? She had no real goal of becoming anything special. Perhaps being a ninja wouldn't be so bad. Who knows, perhaps soon she could be on her own and wouldn't need to rely on anyone. That and, she needed to pay Yamato back for the things he bought her.   
Shyly she replied, "Ok. Thank you." Her soft voice was hardly audible. The hokage smiled warmly at her.   
"Why don't you have a seat outside while Yamato and I get the paperwork needed for your adoption. It won't take long." The hokage opened the door for the girl and she walked through. She sat right outside his office in front of his Secretary's desk. "It will only take a minute alright?" The girl nodded a 'yes' and the hokage stepped back into his office.   
Once the door was closed, Yamato began to protest being the girls legal guardian. He wasn't suited to take care of a child. He was Anbu. A very busy man living a dangerous life. How was he best suited to take care of her? Perhaps Iruka could take her just as he did with Naruto. However, the hokage stated the opposite.   
Hokage Sarutobi stared into Yamato's dark eyes. "She is an earth user Yamato. Her grandfather was one of the greatest earth justsu users to have even been born. His blood runs in her veins and she is capable of using the earthquake technique at such a young age. After everything she has been through, I'm surprised she hasn't killed more people other than the ones who hurt her. The girls chakra is unstable and she will need the expertise of an Anbu to look after her. Besides, Iruka has his hands full with Naruto. Putting this girl under his care would put him over the edge. I have complete trust in you. Teach her to use her jutsu, to keep it under control. I owe it to Ragnar to look after his granddaughter. If you ever need assistance with her or if you really believe you can't handle it, then return and I will find someone else to look after her."   
Yamato let out a long sigh. He didn't believe he was suited to care for a child. He'd much rather take on a triple S ranked mission than do this. However, the hokage insisted and gave him this mission. Who was he to say no? Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad. She seemed to have better manners than Naruto and had a mild temperament. So Yamato agreed to take this child under his care. As soon as he exited the hokages office, Sigyn stood up. "The paperwork is signed and sealed. You're officially my daughter. So how about we discuss this further over some barbecue?" 


	3. Friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if the story feels like it's moving too fast. Originally this was supposed to be a one-shot but I wanted to extend it a little bit. Finally Sigyn meets Gaara and things from now on will be concentrated around them building up their relationship.

Yamato kept his promise and took the girl out to eat barbecue. He inwardly laughed at how eager she was to start eating. The sizzling of the food made her drool and he thought it was rather cute, though he'd never admit it. Over lunch they spoke of many things. Yamato gave the girl standard rules like not staying up too late and helping clean the house. She would be enrolled into Konohas' academy and Yamato expected good grades. Sigyn thought all this was pretty normal and doable. It was the least she could do for everything he's already done for her.   
"And no boys!" Yamato suddenly stated and the girl nearly choked on some beef she was chewing on.   
She drank some water to wash the food down and replied, "Don't worry about that, trust me. I have no intention on doing anything with boys. I have other things to focus on." She placed some beef on the grill and watched it sizzle.  
"Like what?" Yamato also placed some beef to cook.  
"Like learning to control my chakra and temper." Sigyn mumbled. Yamato chuckled and nodded in agreement.   
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-  
The next three years went flying by. The chunin exams would be held in a couple of days and Sigyn was twelve years old now. In the time she attended the Konoha academy, the girl befriended Naruto and they became rather close. She saw him as the big brother she always wanted. He protected her to the best of his abilities, though the girl didn't need it. However, she loved him so much that she acted helpless to make the blond feel empowered when he protected her. Thankfully, Naruto loved the girl as his little sister and would do anything to make her smile. The blond connected with her almost instantly after learning she was an orphan like him. The girl briefly mentioned about her imprisonment by Jiro but didn't state why. She didn't want anyone knowing of her ability to create diamonds.   
Sigyn absolutely hated Sakura and Sasuke. Ino was alright, Hinata was a close friend, she got along pretty well with the boys, especially Lee. The girl had great admiration for the taijutsu user, especially since he couldn't use ninjutsu. However when it came to Sakura and Sasuke, Sigyn hated them with a passion. The girl found Sakura annoying and she was disgusted on how she swooned over Sasuke. Ino did as well but for whatever reason, wasn't nearly as annoyed with her as she was with Sakura. The number one thing Sigyn hated about the pinkette though, was her relentless teasing and awful attitude towards her dear blond brother. Whenever Sakura was mean to Naruto, Sigyn immediately came to his defense. The two girls had gotten into some nasty fights with Sigyn, fortunately, always coming out on top.   
As far as Sasuke, Sigyn hated his pompous attitude. His treatment of Naruto also added to that loathing and the girl couldn't understand why the blond continued to pursue a friendship with that emo brat. Sasuke wasn't very fond of Sigyn either so they always butted heads. For the most part, Sigyn and Sasuke stayed clear of each other with only the occasional snarky remark muttered under their breaths.   
Now, Sigyn was considered a special ninjutsu user. Her potential to control the earth and bend it to her will was impressive and because of it, she was placed in a three-man team with two other children similar to herself. Their sensei was Yamato, who, even though Sigyn was his adoptive daughter, didn't treat her any more special than the others. Even before the chunin exams were to be held, Yamato introduced her to the other two and they trained together frequently. They got along well with each other and Sigyn trusted them enough to tell them of her special abilities. The two were impressed and promised to never reveal anything about the girl, especially after learning about her past.   
Kain Takizawa, who could use a combination of fire jutsu and katanas was the groups leader. He had pitch black hair styled in a short mohawk with the sides slightly shaved, he was slim yet toned, was 13 years old and stood at about 5 feet 4 inches tall. Kain had tanned skin like Sigyns and beautiful amber eyes. He wore typical ANBU attire, though instead of the shirt and pants being grey, they were black with the chest plate a very dark grey and no face mask. He was always serious and rarely smiled. Kain and Sasuke were in a constant battle to see who was the better ninja. Usually, if Sasuke wasn't available to gawk over, Kain was their next target. Sigyn thought Kain was a little less haughty than Sasuke and therefore more tolerable.   
Satori Takizawa was the third member of their group and Kains younger sister. She was 5 feet 2 inches tall, long blond hair that was to her mid-back. She too had tan skin but paler than Sigyn and Kain. She had stormy grey eyes and an hourglass figure that captured the hearts of all the boys in Konoha, except maybe Sasuke. She wore the same ANBU outfit as her brother and Sigyn and was a water and senbon user. All the girls in the village absolutely hated Satori due to her unique beauty. Everyone thought she was vain and condescending but they couldn't be more wrong. Satori was actually rather kind and humble. A lot of the times she thought her beauty was a burden or curse however, she wasn't a pushover. Whenever the Konoha girls tried to make fun of her, she was quick with her witty remarks and therefore earned her reputation as a snooty girl. Sigyn got along rather well with the 12 year old blond goddess and they formed a tight friendship.   
Sigyn remained relatively the same. She was now 5 feet even and her hair was in a curly braid that went a little past her shoulders. Thanks to Yamatos guidance the girl learned many new earth jutsu's and was able to keep her chakra under control. He taught her how to properly release the pent up chakra she was holding without blowing things up. On a few occasions she had wanted to call him father or papa but at the last second she chickened out. Sigyn thought perhaps he would think her strange and didn't want to ruin their relationship, though she loved him like a parent.   
The days leading up to the chunin exams were fairly uneventful. Sigyn and her team were training as usual in an isolated part of Konoha's forest. Kain, the perfectionist, wanted everyone's jutsu to be on point. He had Satori  practicing her aim with her senbon and Sigyn performing different degrees of thickness on her protective domes. He was slashing away at some of Sigyns golems for target practice with his katana.   
"Alright, I think that's it. We're ready." Kain sheathed his blade and let out a long sigh.  
"Oh relax darlin, we'll pass that exam with flying colors." Satori smiled warmly at her brother.  
"Yeah, all I can think of now is sleep." Sigyn stretched her legs and arms while letting out a yawn. The sun was setting and she needed to get home soon before Yamato got worried.   
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-Five days later.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-  
The first time they met wasn't the most ideal. It was during the chunin exams in the forest of death. Sigyn and her team had quickly acquired both scrolls and were making their way to the tower when unfortunately, they came across Gaara and his siblings. Sigyn had gone to a nearby river to fetch some water when she heard Satori's scream. Sensing three other unknown chakra, she hid herself beneath the earth and tunneled her way back to them.   
Satori writhed in pain as Gaara's sand twisted and tightened around her left leg. Kain struggled against the red-head's suffocating sand that now enveloped his whole body, except his head. This demonic child showed no emotion and no hesitation as he slowly crushed his enemies to death. In his mind, these were just two more blood bags for his sand.   
Without warning, a hand gripped Gaara's foot from within the earth, right under him, much to his surprise. It startled him enough that he momentarily released the other two ninja from their sand prison. The hand tried to pull the red-head into the earth, as if to swallow him whole, but his sand went to attack. The hand quickly disappeared within the earth once more and Gaara's attention was diverted back to the other two ninja.   
A brief moment later, a girl popped out from within the earth, comparable to a jack rabbit. As Gaara observed her, his heart did a quick leap. Something he had felt only once when he was  a young child. His teal eyes found their way to her rosy pink lips that were formed in a scowl towards him. In the back of his mind he could hear Shukaku chuckling low, it annoyed him.  
"You guys ok?" Her voice was soft and low. She didn't turn to look over at her team, doing so would leave her exposed to an attack.   
"I think he shattered my ankle!" Satori cried. Kain violently struggled to catch his breath but muttered a 'yes' to the girl facing the demon.   
"Take one step closer and I'll kill you." Sigyn's eyes glared intently at the red-head.   
Gaara only narrowed his eyes at her to match her fierce gaze. "Why?" He spoke in his usual raspy voice. The girl stared in confusion but remained silent. "Why are you protecting weaklings like them?" He finally asked.   
"They're my teammates. My friends. And far from weaklings." She replied in her soft voice. Her glare never wavering.  
"Are you not afraid of me? Afraid I will kill you to get to them?" He took a step closer to the girl but she formed a few hand symbols and slammed her open palm to the ground.   
"Earth dome!" She yelled out. A sudden shifting of the earth beneath their feet grabbed the red-head's attention. The earth altered and shot out from the ground under Satori and Kain. It came together to form a protective dome around them. This was one of Sigyn's signature moves. She was more practiced in the defensive arts than offensive. Both ninjas knew this was their chance to quickly heal up enough to run away. "I would give my life if that's what it took to save them." She did not flinch or hesitate under Gaara's powerful stare.   
His sand angrily shifted and moved around him, readying for an attack. Footsteps were heard in the distance that were becoming louder and louder with each passing moment. Sigyn and Gaara were at a temporary stalemate. He was studying her. What she said to him, about giving up her life, struck a chord within him. He didn't understand why she would say that but wanted to. Kankuro and Temari were at his side in a matter of minutes and took defensive stances.   
"Are you going to kill them Gaara?" Kankuro asked while he removed his puppet from his back and set it down.  
Sigyn remained silent. She was trying to think of a way to safely relocate her team so they could heal and rest. If she died here, this Gaara would only go after them once her protective dome disappeared.   
"We have both scrolls, if you're going to kill them, do it now. We're wasting time." Temari had her arms crossed over her chest with an annoyed look on her face.   
Sigyn panicked inside but tried to not let it show. All that mattered was Satori and Kain. She wouldn't let them down. She refused to allow her fear escape. She couldn't show weakness at a time like this.   
The sand abruptly started seeping back into the red-head's gourd. "Don't tell me what to do." His attention was now towards the blond girl. She flinched under his gaze. "Let's go." Without looking back at her, Gaara started walking away. Kankuro re-tied his puppet on his back and followed the red-head. The blond girl glared at Sigyn for a brief moment before she too, followed the other two sand ninja.   
Sigyn let out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding. Her heart was racing with adrenaline and fright. Why had he let them go? Just like that? The boy was on the verge of murdering her team and all of a sudden he changed his mind? It was odd. She didn't know what to make of it. She remained ever alert and on the defensive until she was 100% sure they were gone. Sigyn closed her eyes and squatted down. Placing her bare right hand on the cold ground, she used her chakra to scan for any nearby enemies. Currently, there were none. The red-head and his team were far enough away now that she could let her guard down.   
Standing back up, she released the earth dome and quickly made her way to her teammates. After making sure Kain and Satori were ok, she ran over to the backpack she had previously discarded. Searching through its contents, she sighed in relief. Both scrolls were still there. The girl looked back at her team. Kain was supporting Satori due to her injury.  Sigyn made her way to them and was now on Satori's other side. "I'll protect us. We just have to make it to the tower. I scanned the area and it's not too far from here. We can do it." Satori and Kain nod. They've been through worse. Both of them knew of Sigyn's undying loyalty to them. She would do whatever it took to keep them safe.   
-.-.-.-.-.-.-A few days later.-.-.-.-.-.-.-  
The second time she saw him was during the preliminary rounds. She saw as he fought against her dear friend Rock Lee. She silently rooted for the taijutsu user but after observing what Gaara could do, Sigyn just hoped, with all her heart, that Lee would just turn out alive. After receiving the news that Lee would never be able to be a shinobi due to the injuries he suffered from Gaara, the girl was enraged.   
Sitting next to Lee's bedside, Sigyn was startled when Gaara appeared. It seems the red-head wanted to assassinate him but thankfully, the girl was there to protect him. Gaara too seemed briefly startled as he thought Lee would have been alone, making it easier to kill him. A split second later, Sigyn slammed her palm to the ground and created a protective dome around Lee. In an instant, Gaara's sand was now swirling around the girl. A stream of sand snaked its way to her throat and lingered there.  
"I won't let you hurt him." Her soft voice cut through to Gaara's inner thoughts. "You've made it impossible for him to become a shinobi. Because of you he might never walk again. First you hurt Satori and Kain and now you try to take Lee from me. I won't let you." Tears were brimming in her eyes. She didn't want to give this boy the satisfaction of seeing her cry while he killed her but she blinked and her tears fell.   
Gaara seemed confused for a moment but his sand remained around her throat and extremities. "Are those tears of fear? Because you know you are about to die?" His raspy voice was low and sent a shiver down the girls back.  
"No. Tears of regret for not being able to stop you from hurting those I love." Tears were now streaming down her face. She was scared of Gaara and was frustrated she couldn't hide it.  
Before Gaara could respond, Shikamaru and Naruto appeared and turned the tables on the red-head. As Shikamaru's hold on Gaara started to weaken, the red-head started explaining little bits of his childhood to them. Sigyn listened intently to the sad story of this boy everyone called a monster. Her heart started to race and she felt pain for him. Everything he had to endure and live through had caused great hostility in him. Was there anything she could do? Anything to ease his pain and perhaps give him a new look on life?   
As Gaara continued to explain to them his reasons for killing, Shikamaru and Naruto tensed up. They were becoming nervous seeing how unstable the red-head truly was. Sigyn swallowed hard and took a step forward.  
"You don't have to kill. You could stop this right now and let me help you. We could be friends and I could help you calm down." Sigyn stretched her right hand out towards Gaara as he gripped his head in pain. Did he have a headache? The girl wanted to gently grip his hand and show him it was alright and she wanted to help, when Naruto grabbed onto her arm.  
"Don't Sigyn. You don't know what he might do." His sky blue eyes were fixated on the red-head as he glared at him.   
Shikamaru, agreeing with Naruto, did not look back at the girl but replied, "Don't try to make friends with someone so unstable Sigy. Someone like him might not want to change."  
Gaara was now glaring at all of them. He threatened to kill them all at his next opportunity. Before he exited the hospital room, he took one last look at Sigyn. "This will be the last time you stand in my way." His raspy voice cut through to her like a knife. "Next time I see you, you're dead." He left right after that.   
Sigyn let out a sigh in relief and Shikamaru and Naruto started scolding her. Shikamaru berated her about how careless she was acting. Trying to get through to someone like that was impossible. The lazy boy asked her to release her earth jutsu around lee and she did. However, before she could leave the hospital room, he yelled at her again to not seek Gaara out because it would be a hassle to find her dead body somewhere and try to explain it to her father, Yamato.   
-.-.-.-.-.-.-A month later.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-  
During Gaara's fight with Sasuke, the girl noticed how unstable the red-head was becoming by every passing second. She was biting her nails, a nervous habit she subconsciously did when anxiety struck her. Kain placed a hand on her shoulder to reassure her Sasuke would be ok. Sigyn frowned and shook his hand off, stating she wasn't worried about the emo kid, she was worried for Gaara.   
That took the rocker ninja by surprise. He had figured the girl wanted him dead after what he did to Satori and himself. Due to the injuries suffered at Gaara's hand, Satori was in crutches like Lee and was unable to continue the chunin exams. Sigyn had expressed anger and sadness for the situation but it seemed to him she had a change of heart. That didn't sit well with the amber-eyed boy. In fact, a seed of jealousy started to sprout within him and he now glared down at the red-head wishing Sasuke would kill him and get it over with.   
When Gaara surrounded himself with his sand, Sigyn quickly crouched down and placed her right hand on the ground. Closing her eyes she whispered, "Chakra resonance." In her minds eye, she could see her surroundings in infrared. Heat signatures from inside Gaara's sand dome were visible to her and she was able to make out the red-head from within. He was talking to himself. At least that's what it seemed like at first. "He's... Summoning something..." She whispers to herself but Kain overhears. The boys attention is averted once again to Gaara and Sasuke's fight just in time to see Sasuke use his Chidori on the red-head.  
Sigyn lets out a gasp which only annoys Kain further. Before he lets out a snarky remark, there is panic from the stage as sound and sand ninjas start invading Konoha. Within all the confusion, Kain looses sight of Sigyn and only briefly manages to see Gaara being taken away by the puppet kid and the blond fan girl.   
"Sigyn!!" Kain yells out for her but she is nowhere to be found. Slight panic races within him as he imagines the worst. However, before he can continue his search for her, the boy takes a look up on the arena seats and see's his sister struggling to escape falling debris and attacking ninja. His priorities change and is now solely focused on protecting Satori.   
Sigyn follows Sasuke who in turn was following Gaara and his siblings. When Sasuke yelled back at the girl to stop following him and minding her own business, she ignores him and hides beneath the earth. Thinking he shooed her away, Sasuke continues his pursuit of Gaara. Sigyn was tunneling under the earth continuing the chase for the red-head. She wanted to know what was going on. The heat signature she felt right before Sasuke hit him with his chidori wasn't a normal summoning. It was a lot stronger, more malevolent and blood thirsty. She had no intention of fighting Gaara, she just wanted answers.   
Once Sasuke caught up with the red-head, their fight continued. Sigyn was tucked away safely beneath the earth and could 'see' what was going on with her chakra resonance. There was no way she was going to help Sasuke. She would wait to see if Gaara killed him before continuing her chase of the red-head. Sigyn wouldn't risk her safety for someone like Uchiha.   
As she silently watched over the fight, Sigyn realized that Gaara was a Jinchuriki like Naruto. Yamato had told her the truth of Naruto and why and how the nine-tails was sealed within him. She knew of what happened to his parents but vowed she would remain silent about it. Sigyn wanted to protect her dear friend from the truth and kept that secret for years. Now, with curiosity bubbling with her, Sigyn wanted to learn as much of Gaara as she could. This information could be vital to the Hokage now that she knew Sunagakure had a Jinchuriki. She figured Yamato would be proud of her for retrieving such valuable knowledge.   
Just as she was contemplating this, Naruto and Sakura show up to break up the fight and protect Sasuke from Gaara. The red-head binds Sakura to a tree, which Sigyn was firmly decided on not to help her either, but then Gaara's next target was Naruto. In the middle of their fight, Sigyn pops out of the earth and summons a few golems to distract the red-head.   
"I told you the next time I saw you I'd kill you!!" Gaara violently screams out to Sigyn. Naruto tries to shield her but a wall of sand quickly lunges towards her.   
The girl slams her palm on the ground and shouts, "Earth wall!" A large wall of earth shoots up from the ground and blocks the sand from advancing. "And I told you I would die for my friends!" When she shouted back at him, Gaara flinched for a second and Naruto took the opportunity to created thousands of shadow clones and attack Gaara. They overwhelm him and the red-head decides to fully transform into his demon.   
"Naruto! Get away from him!" Sigyn shouts to her blond friend but before she could take another breath, Gaara takes hold of her with his demonic hand and smashes her against a large tree. Sigyn hits her head and is briefly knocked out. The fight continues between Naruto and Gaara and Sigyn finally wakes up just in time to see the blond headbutt the red-head. Sigyn's head is aching and throbbing, her vision slightly blurred and blood drips from her forehead but she manages to make her way to Naruto's side.   
"Are you ok?" She whispers to her blue-eyed friend. He nods but starts to crawl his way towards Gaara. As the red-head screams for Naruto to get away from him, the blond boy tells him he sympathizes with his upbringing and tough childhood. He too was lonely until he met Sakura, Sasuke and Sigyn.   
Gaara's brother and sister appear and take hold of him. Before they could take him away however, Sigyn shouts, "Wait!" The three sand siblings turn to her and Gaara's heart beats violently in his chest. He notices her blush, or perhaps it'just the blood seeping from her head down to her face making it seem so, but he takes note that her breathing is labored and she is struggling with what to say next.  
"Well what is it?!" The blond girl's irritated voice rings in her ears and Sigyn begins to stutter.  
"I-well I... I just wanted to know if... um..." Sigyn is having a hard time asking what she wants to because doubt sings in her mind. It tells her there is no way in heaven or hell this boy would accept. Especially with what just happened moments earlier, how could she ask such a thing of him and actually expect him to agree. She's afraid, nervous and anxious but it's a desire that burns deep in her heart. It's just like the first time she met Naruto. She had a difficult time asking him too.   
"Out with it!" It was the puppet boy that now demanded the girl to speak up.   
"Gaara... If it's ok with you... I'd really like... uh... could we... could we be... friends?" Sigyns heart leapt up into her throat and formed a painful lump. Her hands sweating with anxiety and her lungs constricted as she awaited his answer. When she gazed into the faces of Gaara's companions, they seemed baffled. Just as Sigyn anticipated. A moment later Gaara's raspy voice brought her emerald eyes back down to him.   
"There is something wrong with you if you think someone like me can form friendships." That sentence hurt the girl a lot more than she thought. She had expected him to turn her down, it's how things usually ended up for her. She was mentally preparing herself for disappointment and she took a huge leap of faith with asking him to be her friend. However, his rejection hurt tremendously more than she could have imagined but didn't know why.   
Gaara takes a hasty look at Naruto and the blond boys words ring in his mind. 'The pain of being all alone really is unbearable, isn't it? The way you feel, I don't know why, but I completely understand that it hurts. But I've met people who are very important to me now. I won't allow those people to get hurt. I will stop you even if it means I have to kill you.'  
His teal eyes find Sigyns emerald ones and her soft voice too passes in his mind. 'I would give my life if that's what it took to save them' Perhaps in her he could find that love that Naruto spoke of. The affection it took to protect others and care for someone other than himself. She offered her friendship to him. No one had ever done that before. No matter how hard Gaara had tried as a child to make friends, everyone ran from him, hid and shunned him. Now, this girl he's only met a few times, tried to kill and threatened, was offering him something as precious as her friendship. Her protection and her endearment.   
Staring into those bright earthy eyes of hers he felt his heart leap once again. He considered her offer for a moment longer before finally replying with, "Ok." Almost instantly the girl's face lit up. Her smile was from ear to ear and as he turned his back to her, with the support of his brother and sister, started to walk away.   
"My names Sigyn by the way! But you can call me Sigy if you want! I'll write to you!" She yelled out after him. Without turning to face her, Gaara simply lifted his hand to her as a gesture that he had heard her.   
"What a strange girl." Temari muttered under her breath.  
"Yeah but at least she's kinda cute." Kankuro stated in a goofy manner. Gaara merely grunted before apologizing to his siblings for his previous behavior.   
Naruto stared at Sigyn until she finally turned to face him. "What?" She asked with a blush still evident on her cheeks.   
"Do you have a thing for him or something?" He questioned with a frown.  
"W-what? No! Shut up! Let's go get the emo kid and forehead face before they die already." She grumbled as she offered Naruto her shoulder to support himself.   
"Whatever you say..." The blond mumbled.


	4. Letter

Dear Gaara,  
So I can honestly say I've never really written a letter before but I hope this finds you good and well. I remain optimistic that we can one day become good friends. Hopefully I haven't made you believe I'm an odd ball and I'm sure you're asking yourself why I would even bother trying to befriend you.  
The truth is, I know you're a Jinchuriki. This isn't my first run in with one but unfortunately I can not go into detail about that. The first time we met, I will admit, I wanted to kill you. Destroy you in any way I could because of what you did to Satori and Kain (My teammates). When I saw you going against Lee and I saw him kicking your ass for a moment, a part of me was ecstatic at the fact you would be defeated. However, after you turned the tables on him and practically shattered his leg, I wanted to strangle you again. I know this isn't something you want to read but please hear me out.   
The next time I saw you, fear had taken over me and I realized you were much more dangerous than I thought. I knew you were more than capable of killing me but I was ready to die for Lee. He's my dear friend just like Satori, Kain and Naruto. For them, I would give up everything I have to see them happy. When you explained your childhood to my friends and I, something within me wanted to help you. Do not mistake that for pity. I just wanted to give you one happy memory. I think everyone deserves that.   
Your childhood has left much to be desired but none of it was your fault. I want you to know that. I know it may seem strange and weird that some random girl wants to be friends with you, especially after everything that happened however, believe me when I say I truly do want to be your friend. I honestly want to see you smile and laugh. Please give me a chance to make you happy but if I've scared you away by being too pushy or strange, than I'm happy to at least have had the chance to write to you.   
I hope you write back and I'd like to visit you one day, if that's ok of course. We could hang out and talk more if you want. We could get to know each other better and maybe become best friends. Well, I guess that's it. Hope to hear from you soon.  
Sincerely,  
Sigyn  
P.S. : I really like your eyes. They're pretty cool   
"You like him." Naruto gave Sigyn a sly smirk.  
"I do not like him that way Naruto!" The girl snatched her letter back from the blond and folded it up. As she slipped it into an envelope and walked over to the mailbox, she could hear the blue-eyed boy snicker.   
"So why go through all the trouble of befriending him?" His arms were crossed over his chest.   
"You befriended me when you didn't have to. I was a weird kid, well I still am but anyway, I wanted to give him the option of accepting or rejecting a friendship. With what he said, about people calling him a monster and isolating him, he reminded me of you. How sad and lonely you were. I never wanted to see that look on anyone's face ever again." Her eyes were cast down in embarrassment as she explained her reasons to the boy.  
Suddenly she found herself wrapped in the blond's arms in a tight embrace. "Oh Sigy!" Tears were brimming in his eyes. "You're the sweetest friend anyone could ever ask for!"  
"Oh cut it out drama queen!" She squirmed out of his hug but secretly enjoyed it. "And don't be telling anyone about this! I can't have people thinking I'm some sort of touchy feely person. I have to keep up my mean and cold persona."   
Naruto laughed and gave her a thumbs up. He placed his arm around her shoulder and they walked down the streets of Konoha that way. "Ichiraku ramen?"  
"Sure and don't worry, my treat." Sigyn inwardly smiled. She knew Naruto was usually broke and she honestly didn't mind treating him to things often. His situation was tough and Yamato gave her a pretty good allowance. Besides, if she didn't spend it on him what would she spend it on?   
"Oh look at the two love birds." Sakura was walking towards them with Ino, Choji and Shikamaru not far behind her.   
Naruto immediately released his hold on Sigyn and ran up to Sakura. "H-hey Sakura-chan! You look lovely today." His sweet smile was wasted on forehead face in Sigyn's opinion. Sakura merely scowled at the blond boy, ignored him and turned her attention to Sigyn. However, before the pinkette could open her mouth, the green-eyed girl started speaking.  
"Heya Shika-kun, Choji-kun. Hello Ino." Sigyn knew Sakura hated being ignored and it only made the girl inwardly smirk to get under her skin.   
"Hey Sigy." The trio said in unison.  
"Where you guys heading?" Again Sigyn ignored Sakura though she was becoming increasingly irritated with Naruto wasting his time with her. He kept complimenting the girl only to receive insults from her.  
"Well, I'm looking for Sasuke-kun. Have you seen him?" Ino replied. Sigyn shook her head 'no.'  
"Choji and I are going up to my spot to cloud watch. Wanna join us?" Sigyn contemplated this for a moment but then shook her head 'no' again.   
"Thanks but I promised Ichiraku to him. Afterwards I'll probably just head home." Sigyn gave an apologetic smile. "Maybe next time?" She offered. Shikamaru just shrugged. Sigyn turned back to see what Naruto was up to now and sighed heavily. "Seriously?" She muttered. Sakura had hit him upside the head for annoying her. "Naruto you're so irritating sometimes." The girl clenched her jaw in annoyance. She was trying so hard not to punch Sakura in the face for hurting Naruto.   
"Keep your idiot friend away from me." Sakura stated as she started to walk away. Sigyn made a move towards her but Naruto took hold of her arm and stopped her.  
"It's ok Sigy, lets go eat instead." He scratched the back of his head and awkwardly laughed.  
"You're so stupid." The girl muttered and started walking away from him towards the ramen shop.  
"What I do now?" The blond boy took a glance towards Shikamaru and Choji but they both shrugged. "Hold on! Sigy!" Naruto called out to her and ran to catch up to her.   
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-that night-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-  
As Sigyn lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling, she grabbed a pillow and placed it over her face. 'I'm so stupid!' She says in her mind. 'Gaara's going to think I'm so fucking weird and stupid because of my idiotic letter! He'll never want to be my friend now. I probably scared him away!' She felt an indentation in her bed and a hand remove the pillow from her face. It was Yamato.   
"You ok kid?" She noticed his eyes held worry for her. She sheepishly turned away from him so her back was towards the ANBU.   
"I mailed the letter." She mumbled.  
"And?" He coaxed.  
"And... I'm regretting it. What was I thinking? Gaara's going to think I'm so weird." She was red-faced.  
Yamato chuckled and stood up from her bed. "You overthink too much. If he doesn't like you, so be it. Didn't you say Sasuke doesn't like you very much? That doesn't seem to bother you. Besides, I already told you, I don't think it's a good idea to make friends with a Jinchuriki Sigyn. From what you've told me, he's very unstable and I don't want you placing yourself in unnecessary danger."   
"By that logic, I shouldn't be friends with Naruto." She sat up on her bed and glared at her adoptive father.  
He gave her his signature scary face but she remained firm with her glare. "He isn't unstable." Sigyn crossed her arms over her chest, turned her face away from him and replied with a 'tch.' He placed a hand atop her head and ruffled her hair. "I bought dinner, it's on the table. Don't go to bed late, I'll see you in a couple of weeks."   
As he turned to leave, the girl took hold of his arm. "Another classified mission?" Her eyes found his and smiling warmly he nodded 'yes.' "Please be careful." She whispered.   
"I will, if you promise to stay out of trouble." He smirked.   
"I always do! By the way, who will be our sensei while you're away?"   
"Ah about that." Yamato placed a hand on his chin. "Satori and Kain will be training separately from you for the next two months. And you will be with Kakashi's team untill I return." As he expected, Sigyn's jaw dropped in horror.  
"But why?!" She cried out.  
"Because he can properly watch over you and your condition. If your chakra overflows and you don't safely release it, you know perfectly well what damage you can cause." He raised an eyebrow at her.   
"I can control it a lot better now with your training! I'm not helpless!" She fought back. "I feel like you're trying to distract me from the fact that I'll be stuck with Sakura and Sasuke for weeks untill you come back! Why aren't Kain and Satori suffering like me?!" She was whining now.   
"Because they will be training with their father for those two months. I'm sure I don't have to tell you their father was pretty upset over Satori's ankle. She couldn't finish the chunin exams and it didn't sit well with him."   
"Oh, right." Sigyn quietly responded.   
"It won't be as horrible as you think. Remember, Naruto will be there too. Just keep your temper in check and do not kill anyone. Understand?" His scary face was back and this time she flinched. Yamato laughed. "I see you're not completely immune to the scary face."  
As he made his way towards the door, Sigyn called out, "I love you dad. Please be careful."   
Yamato stopped dead in his tracks and stared at her. Did she just call him dad? He had fantasized about this moment for a long time but never thought it would happen. He had practiced his reaction to this moment in his head but was so stunned at the moment that he just stood there like a deer in headlights. A blush crept up onto his face and he was momentarily speechless. After regaining his senses he replied,"you're acting like you'll never see me again." He managed a chuckle. "I love you too kid." He muttered as he exited the house.   
Once Sigyn found herself alone at home again, she let out a sigh. "Thank you for the food." She whispered. "I miss you already." When she sat down to eat she spoke to herself again. "I should save some for that idiot. He's probably having instant ramen again." A smile found its way to her lips. "I hope he's not sad he's alone. Maybe I'll sleep over his place tomorrow and keep him company."  
-.-.-.-.-.-Same night but with Gaara.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-  
The red-head sat on the rooftop of his house, alone, as always. Staring up at the moon, he was lost in his thoughts of 'her.' Temari was right. She was a little strange. However, he'd be lying if he said he didn't appreciate her offer of friendship. He wondered for a moment if she really would write to him. If she really meant it when she said she wanted to be his friend. She seemed nervous. Perhaps she was being forced to say that. Someone bribed her or threaten her to offer her friendship to him. That seemed more plausible.   
Shukaku was giddy and laughing. 'You're thinking too much about it kid.' The demon replied in his mind.  
'What are you on about?' Gaara replied clearly irritated with the demon invading his thoughts.   
'It's pretty evident the girl likes you. Dear I say, love at first sight?' His high pitch laugh makes the red-head wince in irritation.   
'Love. Who would love a monster like me? You're obviously mistaken.' Gaara ignores Shukaku's laugh and continues to stare up at the moon.  
'And you're obviously denser than I thought.' Before Gaara could reply to the annoying demon, Kankuro's voice echoed throughout the house.   
"Gaara! Dinner's ready! And prepare yourself because Temari's the one who cooked!"   
"I CAN HEAR YOU!" Temari yelled out.  
'You sure you'd rather not just kill them?' Once again Shukaku gave his 2 cents.  
'No.' Gaara replied as he made his way into the house.   
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.- A few days later (With Gaara) -.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-  
Gaara sat across Kankuro on the kitchen table. They were currently engrossed in a game of chess. Kankuro was a little nervous that if he won, his little brother might become irritated enough to kill him. However, the older sand sibling did notice Gaara's attempts to be nicer to him and his sister. So he decided to take this chance and play a game with him. Gaara was doing rather well, much to his surprise and the puppeteer was becoming increasingly agitated with the fact that he might lose.   
While Kankuro was thinking of a strategy, Temari slammed the door to the house open and slammed it shut, disrupting his concentration. "What the hell Temari?! I'm going to lose thanks to you!" Thinking that picking a fight with his sister would distract Gaara, Kankuro tried to sneak one of his little brother's pieces off the chess board but his hand was caught by Gaara's sand."Eh heh heh..." Kankuro nervously chuckled but before Gaara could say anything, Temari chimed in.  
"Bills, bills, bills, something stupid for Kankuro," The blond threw a magazine at her younger brother and it landed on his face. "Oh well look at this." Temari held a letter in her hand. Gaara's sand released his brother hand and Kankuro took the opportunity to come up behind Temari and take a peek.   
"It's addressed to you." The older brother glanced over at the red-head. The youngest of the sand siblings narrowed his teal eyes up at them.   
"It says it's from Sigyn. Isn't that the name of that odd girl?" Temari questioned.  
"Oh yeah the cute one!" Kankuro tried to snatch the letter out of his sisters hand but she smacked him.   
"It's Gaaras! Hands off nosy." She scowled at him but her brother shrugged and stood behind the red-head, hoping to read the letter along with Gaara. Temari handed her youngest brother the letter and he stood up to walk away with it.  
"Aww aren't you gonna read it aloud for us to hear?" Kankuro whinnied. Gaara glared at him and he sheepishly shrunk away.   
"No." He replied in annoyance.   
"Leave him be Kankuro." Temari harshly whispered at him. "G-gaara." The red-head shifted his focus from the letter in his hand to his sister. "Whatever is written on it, if it upsets you, tell me, I'll make her regret it." The blond crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes. Gaara nodded and continued to make his way up to the roof.   
He held the unopened letter in his hands. His stomach twisted and turned but he was unsure as to why. His breathing quickened a bit and he sighed to try and calm himself down. Gaara had never felt this way before. Unsure and uneasy about something. It was a foreign feeling and he didn't like it. Perhaps this wasn't a good idea. This girl was already making him feel things he never had before, or maybe he had but was long forgotten. Either way, he detested it. Maybe he should rip up the letter and pretend he never received it. On the other hand, what if it wasn't anything bad? What if it was more than he could ever hope for? Not wanting to get his hopes up, Gaara places the letter next to him and stares up at the moon.   
'Just read it. The anticipation is killing me.' Shukaku appeared again.   
'What if it's her saying she hates me? Saying it was a mistake to offer me her friendship?' The red-head replies.  
'Well, there's only one way to find out. And if that's the case, we'll kill her. I see no problem here.' The demon lets out a shrill snicker.  
'Must your solutions always end with death?' Gaara calmly questions.  
'What's wrong with that?' Shukaku replies.  
The red-head shakes his head in frustration. The demon is no help but he was right about one thing. The only way to find out is to read it. As he held the letter in his hand once more, he thought about the girl. Naruto said his life changed when he met his friend Sakura, Sasuke and Sigyn. If he said that about her, then perhaps this letter wouldn't contain something horrible. Optimism inched its way into Gaara's heart.   
Delicately opening the envelope, as if it would disintegrate in his hands, he pulled out the letter and discarded its unnecessary package. Sighing one last time, he opened the piece of paper and began reading it carefully. Her writing was a little sloppy and seemed rushed but he was able to make out the words with relative ease. Arriving at the end of the letter, he didn't notice but a smirk crept its way to his lips.   
'Well, you gotta admire her honesty. She didn't sugar coat the fact she wanted to murder you or that she was afraid of you.' Shukaku reappeared.   
'Yes and it appears she is sincere about this friendship.' Gaara's heart did a little flip and his smirk turned into a smile. Shukaku abruptly disappeared into the back of his mind and Gaara was left alone with his thoughts. 'I should write back.' The read-head made his way back into his home and into his bedroom. All the while ignoring his siblings curious looks.   
"Did he look upset to you?" Temari whispered to her younger brother.  
"Dunno. He seemed ok to me." Kankuro replied. "Guess we can ask him in the morning."   
In his quiet isolation, Gaara contemplated on what to write back. Should he thank her for her honesty? He truly was grateful for it. Should he invite her to visit him? The next couple of weeks he really had nothing scheduled. Other than training, his calendar was pretty open. What would they do though? Would he take her around Suna and show her the sights? Gaara released a deep sigh of frustration. This was going to be harder than he thought.   
Dear Sigyn,  
Thank you for writing to me. I was surprised to hear that I had mail today. I did not anticipate you actually writing to me. After much thought, I considered your offer to visit and I think I would like that. How about you decide when. That way, when you receive this letter, you can reply with the date you would like to meet on. I could show you around Suna if that sounds pleasant to you. There isn't much to see, but I could take you to our desert flower garden. I go there often at night for the solitude it provides.   
You stated you were aware of me being a Jinchuriki. I suppose after my outburst on Naruto, I can't really hide that fact anymore. Perhaps when you arrive I could tell you more about it if it interests you. Though, I'm sure you'll understand when I say I can not divulge too much information on the matter, since it is classified information after all.   
Thank you for your sincerity when you said you wanted to kill me and feared me. That is a strange thing to say, I know, but really, thank you. People are not honest with me out of kindness, only fear. By you being openly honest with me I think, maybe, this friendship thing won't be so bad after all.   
I do not wish for you to be afraid of me. I want you to be my friend because you want to and not through obligation or as you stated, pity. If you don't think me too bold, I will admit I am curious about you as well. Though you did hesitate a bit, you offered your friendship to me and I would like to know more about why. I would also like to know about your childhood and upbringing. I think it's only fair, considering I told you about mine.   
I can honestly say this is my first time writing a letter as well. It isn't as easy as it seems. Especially for someone like me, who can not properly put their emotions in words. For the longest time, I thought I could only feel hate and anger. Now that I am trying to keep my temper under control, I've come to realize I can feel more than just loathing and hostility. I will await for your reply and in the meantime, I hope you too are well and good.  
Sincerely,  
Gaara  
P.S.: I like your eyes too. They are very earthy.


	5. Chance encounter

It was late at night and Sigyn lay in Naruto's bed. Depression had struck and he was the only one she could turn to. The Third Hokage was murdered and they had just come back from the funeral. Sigyn had to write back to Gaara that she could not visit him any time soon. She was sure the news of the Hokages' death had reached him but was still worried about him thinking her a liar. However, in her letter, she apologized profusely and promised to visit him as soon as she was able. Another thing prohibiting her from visiting him, was her father. If he found out she had left during such turbulent times, he would be furious.   
Sigyn was quietly sobbing into Narutos' pillow. The blond boy tried to remain strong, for both their sakes. Losing the Third Hokage had inflicted such deep, personal wounds in them both. After a minute or so, the blond sat on his bed, next to the girl and placed a gentle hand on her head.   
"It'll be ok Sigy." He softly spoke but she didn't reply. "I know he ment a lot to you. He did for me too but," he let out a heavy sigh. "But he wouldn't want us laying in bed all day crying, right?" Sigyn turned to him with red, tear stained eyes and he offered her a soft smile.   
Rubbing her eyes and sniffing a couple of times, she replied, "Yeah. You're right." Hugging him tightly, they fell asleep together.   
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.  
A couple of days later, Sigyn received a response from Gaara. She was nervous that the red-head would be angry with her. That perhaps he would lose faith in her for not being able to visit him and that it seemed like she was coming up with excuses to avoid him. As she read his letter however, she was surprised to find the red-head rather understanding of the situation. He wasn't upset with her, though admittedly, was a little disappointed but he would hold her to her promise. They would schedule a visit when the time was right.  
Over the next few weeks, Sigyn continued to write to Gaara about how things in Konoha were. Currently, the girl wrote about how sad and depressed she was that Naruto left with Jiraiya-sama on a mission. Satori and Kain were still training with their father but she would visit them from time to time. She wrote to him about her training with Lee and Gai-Sensei and how despite his injuries, was recovering pretty well.   
She wrote to him about how much she hated moving from one teacher to another because it felt like no one wanted her or had time for her. She was upset that her father had yet to return and she was getting worried. Gaara would always reply back and tell her that worrying would do her no good and she should instead focus on her training. Keeping her mind occupied was a good way to relieve stress.   
Gaara would write back to her as often as she would to him. Just like her, he would tell the girl about his experiences back home. He and his siblings were getting along much better now and there was far less animosity between them. The red-head would write to her about what he had planned for when she would visit him. She would reply with excitement and anticipation, which always placed a smile on the red-heads face.   
A couple of days after mailing her most recent letter, Shikamaru had approached the girl and asked if she wanted to aid in the Sasuke recovery mission. The lazy ninja informed her that Naruto requested her aide because she was well practiced as a medical ninja. Naruto said they might need some healing if they all wanted to come back alive and Shikamaru agreed. Now the problem was convincing the girl to actually join them.   
"We really could use your talents Sigy." Shikamaru gave her a stern glance. She knew he was serious.  
"It's not like I'm a doctor Shika-kun. There's only so much I can do." Sigy glanced over at Kiba and Choji, who looked at her with pleading.   
"Be honest Sigyn. The real reason why you don't want to go, is because this is for Sasuke. To be honest, I don't care either way but my friends need me." Neji stared straight into her eyes and the girl sighed.   
"Yeah, alright. Is it really such a bad thing that he's gone?" She rolled her eyes at them in annoyance.  
"What is this vendetta that you have against him anyway?" Kiba questioned.  
"Look," Shikamaru interjected before the argument could escalate because with Sigyn's temper, it usually did. Truth is, Shikamaru knew exactly why Sigyn disliked Sasuke and it wasn't just the relentless teasing of Naruto. "We're not going to force you to join us. All I'm saying is, Naruto recommended you. If not for Sasuke, then do it for him."   
Sigyn stared at the lazy ninja for a moment before crossing her arms over her chest. "Alright. Besides," The girl glanced over at the other boys. "Can't have you dying out there knowing I might've made a difference."   
"Just one thing." Kiba smirked at Sigyn. "Please don't start a fight when we find him."   
Again she rolled her eyes at them. "Yeah, yeah."   
-.-.-.-three days later.-.-.-.-.-  
"This fight will be easy for me. You guys go on ahead, I'll take care of him." Sigyn was preparing herself to fight Jirōbō but Choji stopped her.  
"No Sigy-chan, he insulted Shikamaru and ate the last chip. I can not let you fight him. He's mine." Before the girl could protest, he continued. "Besides, this is only the first enemy, they're going to need you further ahead."   
"Choji no! I can take him! He's an earth user like me! I can deflect and anticipate his attacks! This will be nothing and I can quickly catch up to you guys!" Sigyn stood in front of the large boy but Shikamaru held her back.   
"No. He's right Sigyn, we may need you. I have full confidence Choji can handle this guy." Shikamaru smiles at his best friend and Choji returns it.  
The girl, still defiant, grits her teeth but gives up. "Ok but take this." She hands him one blue and one pink pill. "I made some preparations before we left and created some healing pills." She places them in the palm of his right hand and then uses her hand to close his around the pills. Sigyn then places her hand atop his. "Listen to me Choji." Her eyes hold concern for him. "Only use these in the most absolute dire of situations. The blue one contains a chakra boost from my personal reserve, so it's a pretty strong dose. The pink one will surround you in a healing type of cocoon made of my chakra. Use this one if you find yourself in critical condition but only and I mean only, if you are safe. This pill will put you in a comatose state and keep you alive until I or another medical ninja arrive."   
Shikamaru looks impressed and Choji asks, "Where did you learn to make food pills? And ones with these kind of effects?"  
Sigyn smirks, "That's my secret. But really, I mean it Choji, use them wisely." The boy nods and the girl takes one more look at him before departing with the rest of the group.  
"Don't worry Sigy-chan, Choji's stronger than he looks." Shikamaru tries to reassure her. "Besides, it sounds like your food pills will help him out a lot."   
"I hope so Shika-kun. I really do." The girl sighs.  
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-  
"This one will be difficult." Sigyn mumbles.  
"That's why I'm staying." Neji steps up to the plate but the girl tries to intercept again.  
"Neji I'm worried. I feel I should stay to back you up. That way, I can go back and check on Choji." The girl starts to bite at her nails, a nervous habit.  
"No. Continue on with the others, If I'm alright, then I'll go back for Choji." Neji steps in front of her but Sigyn takes hold of his arm.  
"I don't like this at all but," She digs in her pants pocket and pulls out another pink and blue food pill. She hands both to him and he nods in gratitude. "Please be careful."   
"Go." Neji faces Kidōmaru and Sigyn takes one last look at him.  
"I don't like this Shika-kun. They're separating us and I-" Sigyn is cut off by Naruto before she could finish.  
"I know this isn't what you're used to Sigy-chan. You, Kain and Satori are always together and you don't leave a friend behind but sometimes, you have to have faith your teammate can handle themselves. Shikamaru's right, Choji is stronger than he looks and well, you know Neji. He's probably stronger than the rest of us. He'll be fine." The blond gives her his signature goofy smile and his blue eyes shine brightly but it does little to ease her fears.  
"This will be a good learning experience for you Sigy-chan." Kiba speaks up. "You're used to always being on the defensive. Kain and Satori usually do all the fighting right?" She nods. "You need to be strong. We're counting on you to use your head and those defense and healing skills. Have confidence. I know you care about your team but you're more than just a human shield."  
"Well said Kiba." Shikamaru compliments. The girl runs a hand through her hair to try and ease her nerves but slightly frowns because she messed up her braid.  
"I'm sorry I just," She sighs. "It's like Naruto-kun said, I'm not used to leaving my team behind. It's my job to protect everyone. It's the reason why you brought me along. To make sure you guys stay alive. I can't help but feel I'm not living up to that."   
"You're carrying the whole burden of this mission on your shoulders Sigy-chan. Remember you have a team that is willing to die for you just as much as you are for them. Give us some of that weight to carry." Shikamarus' words hit the girl hard. He was right. This whole time she felt the safety and well being of everyone was up to her but that wasn't true. Everyone had a part to play and she had to share the hardship of leaving a friend behind.   
"You're right. I'm sorry." Sigyn rubs her eyes of tears.  
"You have a good heart Sigy-chan. It's why we knew we could trust you to come with us." Shikamaru really had this much confidence in her? Confidence she lacked.   
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.  
"I came ill prepared Kiba I'm sorry. I only have pink pills left. Here." Sigyn hands him two, one for him and one for Akamaru.   
"Don't worry, this will do, and hey," He looks into her emerald orbs and smiles. "Once this is over, how about a date?"   
The girl is surprised he is asking for something like that in this situation. She stutters and doesn't know what to say but thankfully Naruto saves the day. "Oi! You have to ask my permission first if you want to ask my sis out, dog breath!"   
"Shut up Idiot! She's not even your real sister!" Kiba countered.  
"Alright." Sigy finally speaks. Naruto and Shikamaru both stare at her in surprise. "If you promise me you wont die at Sakon and Ukon's hands, then I promise you a date when we get back home." She really didn't care about the date, she just wanted to give him a reason to stay alive.  
He smiles at her and yells out, "Whoo hoo! You hear that Akamaru?! Now we really can't lose!"   
"Keep him safe Akamaru." Sigyn places a kiss atop the dogs' head.  
"Where's mine?" Kiba cheekily asks. The girl stutters and blushes again but is saved by Shikamaru this time.  
"I think her agreeing to a date with you should be sufficient." The lazy ninja rolls his eyes but Kiba just laughs it off.   
-.-.-.-.-.-.-  
"I can't Shika-kun! I can't leave you! Let me take care of this crazy bitch!" Sigyn's eyes begin to water.  
"Remember what I told you Sigy-chan. Stay strong. If anyone can reach Sasuke, It's Naruto. You need to make sure you get Naruto to him. Now go! It's essential to give chase immediately after the guy that took Sasuke before he gets too far and we lose him! I'm counting on you!" As Sigyn hands him a pink pill, Shikamaru holds her hand and gives it a light squeeze for reassurance. "Get this idiot to Sasuke."   
She nods and returns his gesture. "Afterwords, can we go cloud watching?" She softly asks.  
Shikamaru replies, "Yeah, once I get done with this inconvenience."  
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-  
As they gave chase to the guy that took Sasuke, Sigyn noticed Naruto starting to lose himself to his Jinchuriki. "Naruto-kun don't worry, we'll catch him." She tries to sooth the blond but it doesn't work.   
Once they come to a clearing, the girl notices the man put Sasuke down and turns to face them. Naruto's rage is building and Sigyn tries to place her hand on his shoulder. He makes a move to bite her and the girl flinches away. "N-Naruto, please." However, the blond is lost in his rage and her voice doesn't reach him.  
The blond summons thousands of shadow clones and Sigyn prepares herself for battle. As Kimimaro seems distracted with Narutos' clones, the girl takes the opportunity to try and grab Sasuke. She disappears underground and tunnels her way to the casket. Once she senses she is right under it, Sigyn makes a move for it but is suddenly stopped by Kimimaro stabbing the earth with one of his long bone blades.   
It was such a close call that she gets a cut on her right cheek. Startled by the sudden attack, the girl tunnels back to her original spot and comes back above ground. 'Shit! Hey's way too fast for me! I can't even surprise him underground! Fuck! What do I do?! Don't panic, don't panic!'  
Just then, Kimimaro finishes off Narutos' clones and goes for the real one. Sasuke appears from within the coffin and distracts Naruto, leaving himself open for Kimimaro to strike. Sigyn, thankfully paying close attention, had just finished her hand seals for a protective jutsu when out of the blue, Lee appears and kicks Kimimaro away.   
"Lee-kun!" Sigyn yells in joy and rushes to Narutos' side to asses his injuries. Lee assures Naruto he can go after Sasuke and that he would take care of Kimimaro.   
Sigyn finishes healing the blond and nods for him to go. "It's ok Naruto-kun. Lee needs me more than you do. He isn't fully healed yet and I should stay to keep him safe. Shika-kun was right. You can reach Sasuke and bring him home." Her encouraging words aide the blond into going after Sasuke.  
As he runs towards Sasuke, Kimimaro takes advantage and goes after the blond. Sigyn slams her palms together and yells out, "Earth spike!" A large spike of earth shoots up from the ground and blocks Kimimaros' attack. "I told you I got this! Go Naruto!" Sigyn yells to her best friend and he complies.   
Lee is distracting Kimimaro with his taijutsu and effectively keeps him away from giving chase to the blond. "Don't worry Lee-kun, I've got your back!" Sigyn, though admittedly shaken up a bit because Kimimaro was superior in strength, tries to calm herself and starts to gather chakra up from the surrounding trees.  
'Just keep him distracted long enough for me to gather enough chakra Lee-kun.' Sigyn has to focus on protecting Lee and preparing her next move against Kimimaro. As the fight continued, the girl was impressed with Lees' skills despite his injuries. She knew his leg wasn't what it used to be and yet here he was keeping Kimimaro at bay. "You're amazing Lee-kun! Keep it up!" She shouted words of encouragement. The boy gave her a thumbs up as indication he had heard her.

'There! I've gathered enough chakra! Now, I just have to wait for the right moment!' Sigyn was waiting for a chance when Kimimaro was still. All she needed was a split second. When she could get him motionless, Sigyn would take hold of his legs with earth and have Lee mercilessly pummel him with taijutsu. That, or she would use her stored up chakra and use Iron Maiden on him. That should finish him off.   
For a moment, Sigyn considered releasing a few golems to aid Lee but Kimimaro was too fast. She would only hinder Lee and perhaps cause him problems. She thought about transforming the earth under Kimimaros' feet into mud or sand so he would lose his balance and she could take hold of him but again, that would only cause Lee the same hindrance and she decided against it. The girl thought perhaps she could call forth some earth spears to strike Kimimaro but Lee would have to dodge them too, potentially leaving him exposed to an attack. She had enough chakra for an earthquake but that move was severely unstable. There was a good chance Lee would be hurt by this too. It was frustrating. She was happy Lee came to their aid but that put a limit to her abilities. She had to remain on the defensive and just wait for her chance to grab Kimimaro.   
There came a moment when Lee needed to take his medicine. Surprisingly, Kimimaro actually stopped and allowed Lee to take it and Sigyn figured this was her chance at last. "Earth hands!" She yelled and slammed her palms together. She was able to take hold of Kimimaros' legs. "There! Now Lee-kun! I've got him! Hurry and finish him off!" However, just as she said that, Kimimaro unleashed, from the palms of his hands, some bone and attacked Sigyn. The girl quickly dodged but released her technique and Kimimaro was free once again.  
Before he could continue his attack on the girl, Lee intervened and spoke to Kimimaro. "Wait! This fight is between you and I. I need to prove that, despite my injury, I am still a capable ninja, so please," He turns to Sigyn. "Please do not interfere with my battle. Allow me to show you I can still fight." The determination in his eyes makes her question herself. Without realizing, she was making it seem like Lee was helpless. That he needed Sigyns' help to defeat Kimimaro, though that wasn't her intention.   
"Lee-kun, this isn't the time to put pride over safety! Let me help you, together we can beat him!" She countered.   
"Only if I am about to die will I allow you to help. I'm sorry Sigy-chan but I need to do this. I need to prove to myself I can still fight." Lee chugged down the contents of the white bottle he had brought with him.  
"But Lee-kun." Sigy whispered. "I just want... I don't want to be useless." It pained her that throughout this whole ordeal, the most she was able to contribute were the medicinal pills she had made. She could have easily just given those to Shikamaru before they departed on this mission and not even come along. She wanted so desperately to help. Sigyn hated standing on the sidelines. However, it seemed she had no choice in the matter. She took a couple of steps back and sighed in defeat. He was determined to fight Kimimaro on his own and she had to allow it. It meant far to much to him for her not to.  
A short moment after Lee consumed this 'medicine,' Sigyn noticed the boy acting rather strange. His eyes seemed glazed over and his usual precise taijutsu stances appeared sloppy and shaky. The girl soon realized that Lee was in fact drunk. She had used her earth jutsu to pull back the ground where Lee had dropped the white bottle. She took hold of it and gave a quick sniff at the bottle. The liquid inside was definitely alcohol. That was a surprise. Sigyn never thought of Lee as a drinker.   
The girl was worried and thought to intervene. There was no way the boy could fight in this state. She didn't understand why he had gotten himself drunk instead of actually taking his medicine but there was no way she would stand by and watch him get killed. However, after keeping a close eye on the situation, the girl soon came to realize Lees' unsystematic stances and fighting were actually drunken boxing. She had only heard of this type of taijutsu when Guy-sensei and Kakashi-sensei were drunkenly eating at the barbecue joint the girl frequented with Yamato. She overheard them talking about it but at the time thought nothing of it, other than mindless banter from the two drunks. Later that night, she asked Yamato about it and he casually mentioned that it was a type of fighting style amid taijutsu users. Sigyn didn't push the matter further.   
Now, as she watched Lee and Kimimaros' fight, she had a front row seat to this type of taijutsu. She briefly pondered if the boy intentionally got drunk, in order to preform this fighting style or, if he somehow got his medicine bottle mixed up with an alcoholic one. The latter seemed more credible. The girl was impressed with Lee. He was doing pretty well up against someone strong and experienced as Kimimaro. It appeared he was right, he didn't need help at all and that made the girl feel miserable. Once again she felt useless and powerless.   
The fight continued with Lee and Kimimaro and Sigyn still on the sidelines just awaiting for when she would be needed, or rather, if she would be. There came a point when Kimimaro started explaining his keke genkai to Lee and after managing to deliver a cut to the boys' cheek, Lee sobered up. Sigyn let out a sigh of relief and the fight continued for a short moment.   
Lee opened the first gate of his secret technique and attacked Kimimaro. To his and Sigyns' surprise, Kimimaro was unaffected. Right when Kimimaro was about to stab Lee in the face, Sigyn took hold of his legs with her earth and pulled him back, away from Lee. At that same moment, sand had shot out and took hold of Lee to pull him back towards Sigyn.   
The girl turned to her right and saw Gaara standing there, next to her. How the hell had he even gotten there without her noticing?! She hadn't felt his presence or chakra. Perhaps she had been too engrossed in Lees' battle that she tuned everything else out. Sigyn stood there, staring at the red-head in shock, eyes wide and heart racing.   
Gaara walked towards Kimimaro without a word or glance at Sigyn or Lee. Kimimaro launches bones from his fingertips at Gaara but the red-heads' sand stops them. A moment later, Gaara speaks to Lee and points out his sluggish movements. Lee, as polite as he could, mentioned he wasn't fully recovered after his battle with Gaara. The tall taijutsu user then took a fighting stance next to the red-head and Sigyn noticed he was bleeding from his arm.   
Sigyn gasps at the sight of Lees' blood and Gaara turns his gaze to her. It seemed as though he had just noticed her standing behind them both. His teal eyes seem to search hers for a brief moment before speaking. "Hello." His raspy voice was slightly deeper now the girl noted.   
Sigyn gulped hard. Her hands were sweaty and her heart viciously bounced in her chest. When she first met him, she thought him good looking but that was a fleeting thought from a silly little girl. Now, the silly girl felt her face heat up at the sight of this handsome boy that stood before her. He was a bit taller than her and his commanding aura allured her. All this, she felt in a matter of seconds before she finally responded to him.  
"H-hey Gaara-kun. I didn't notice when you arrived. What are you doing here?" Unknown to the girl, Lee had been staring at the pair. If he didn't know any better, he could have sworn the girl was swooning over the red-head.   
"Sunagakure is here to assist Konoha in whatever they need in an attempt at peace between each other." Gaaras' eyes find Kimimaros' and they glare at one another.   
"Thank you for your assistance but I can handle him. You can be my back-up." Lee tries to run back towards Kimimaro but Gaaras' sand takes hold of his ankle. Lee falls to the ground but the red-head softened the fall with a cushion of sand. Ignoring the taijutsu users cries of protest, Gaara pulls him back next to Sigyn.   
"Let me heal you Lee-kun." The girl channels her chakra to accumulate in both her hands and places them over Lees' bleeding arm. "Please tell me if I hurt you. It can sometimes be difficult for me to control how much chakra I release."   
"Thank you Sigy-chan." Lee's eyes were downcast and a soft sigh escaped him.   
"Are you alright?" She asked with concern in her voice.  
"Yes." He smiled up at her but she could tell he was lying. Sigyn didn't understand why but she wouldn't bring it up now. She'd have to ask him once this was all over. Sigyn remained silent, slowly healing her dear friend to the best of her abilities.  
As Gaara battles Kimimaro, Sigyn interrupts her healing and performs some hand seals. She gently taps the ground and whispers, "Sand formation." The ground underneath Kimimaros' feet begins to rumble but before Gaara could ask, the girl speaks. "I created a small lake of sand right under him. If you need more, just let me know." She shyly smiles up at him and he nodded in Gratitude.   
In his mind, the red-head contemplated on whether or not to tell the girl what she did was unnecessary. He was perfectly capable of creating additional sand as he needed it. However, she seemed pleased with herself for providing aid to him and so Gaara chose to remain silent. Besides, this way, he could use his chakra more liberally against his enemy and not waste it with creating more sand.  
There came a point when Gaara was able to entrap Kimimaro in his sand coffin and for a brief moment Lee and Sigyn believed the fight to be over. However, shock crossed both their features once they realized Kimimaro was still alive. He forced his way out from the sand and Sigyn placed a hand over her mouth. She was horrified with the bone users appearance. His bones were exposed where his skin was torn apart and his jaw was also showing.  
After a brief conversation, Gaara quickly preformed hand seals and sand started violently seeping from the ground. Accompanied with the sand Sigyn had created for him, Gaara called forth a towering wall of sand. With even more sand quickly being added, it soon transformed into a sand tsunami aiming straight for Kimimaro.   
The sand tsunami not only engulfed Kimimaro but the surrounding forest as well. Once Gaara had drowned everything around them, he slammed his palms into the sand and a strong vibration ensued. It felt identical to Sigyns' earthquake attack. The girl was amazed by Gaaras' awesome power. He wasn't afraid to use it to its full potential, unlike her. She was impressed and awe-struck.   
"Dammit!" Sign cursed aloud. She knew Kimimaro was still alive. She sensed it with her chakra resonance.   
Before anyone could say anything else, Gaara quickly entrapped Kimimaro again with sand and tried to compress him into nothing. However, with his new-found strength, Kimimaro was able to squeeze out of the sand. He rushed Gaara as the re-head tried to take hold of the enemy with sand. Kimimaro easily dodged Gaaras' attacks and managed to ram him with his body, sending the re-head flying.   
Lee took the opportunity to attack Kimimaro but the bone user lifted his tail to swat him away. Sign called forth a rock wall from deep within where Gaaras' sand handn't affected the ground. She could control mud, earth and rock but sand was too fluid-like for her to be able to control. Kimimaro had slammed his tail on the rock wall and turned his gaze towards her. He pulls out his spine and Sigyn releases a grunt of disgust.   
The girl rushes to Lees' side but Kimimaro lashes his spine out towards her. Gaara quickly takes hold of the spine with his sand and gives the girl a chance to reach Lee. Kimimaro turns to Gaara now and attacks him. He wraps his spine around Gaara and creates a blade from his bones around his free arm.   
Gaara creates his ultimate defense and once it's fully assembled, Sigyn lets out a squeal. "How cute!" She exclaims. Lee stares at her with a quizzical look and Gaara inwardly smiles. "Ah, I mean, well, um you know..." She trails off unsure of what to say.   
Kimimaro tries to force his way through Jesse's defense with his blade but it begins to crack. After a moment, the bone blade finally disintegrates and Gaara captures Kimimaro in sand once again. The red-head frees himself from Kimimaros' spine and starts swirling sand around him like quick sand.   
Lee and Sigyn rejoice as now it seems Kimimaro is finally defeated. The sweet moment doesn't last. Kimimaro, it seems,was still alive and was going to skewer them all with his bones protruding from the ground. Gaara was quick with his sand and took hold of all three of them. They were now floating atop a bed of sand.   
Sigyn takes a peak over the sand but can't find Kimimaro anywhere. She is unable to use chakra resonance because she can't make contact with the earth. A split second later, Kimimaro appears behind Gaara and attacks him with another blade of bone. Sigyn screams out his name as the red-head turns to face certain death. However, the finishing blow never arrives as Kimimaro finally dies.   
Sigyn felt as though her heart stopped. She stared wide eyes as Kimimaros' lifeless body remained fixed in its attack pose. His bone blade was inches away from Gaaras' face but the girl was paralyzed with fear. She had been so focused on healing Lee that she failed to notice Kimimaros' attack.  
A moment later, the girl, with Gaaras' aid, slowly makes her way towards Kimimaro and places her fingers on his neck, searching for a pulse. "He's definitely dead this time." She glances back to Gaara and Lee.  
Once the initial shock wore off, Gaara lowered the trio back to the ground with his sand. Lee was grateful and let out a sigh in relief. Sigyn gave her thanks as well but was unable to maintain eye contact with the red-head. She was lost in depressing thoughts of herself when Gaara asked, "Are you alright?"   
His raspy voice brought her back to reality. Quickly darting her eyes back to him, she smiled weakly and replied with a faint 'yes.' His gaze lingered on her for a moment before simply nodding in her direction.   
Gaara and Lee were engrossed in conversation as Sigyn goes back to mentally berating herself. The red-head notices her sudden change in disposition. Lee and Gaara take a seat on either side of the girl. The red-head then starts talking about how Kimimaro reminded him of Naruto. They both would stop at nothing to protect the things precious to them. Sigyn refuses to look at Gaara, out of shyness, and instead opts to re-examine Lee once more.   
"Whatever is troubling your mind, rest assured I am happy to see you." Gaara doesn't look at her, instead stares out towards Kimimaros' dead body. She gathers the courage to take a peak up at him but says nothing.   
"Admittedly, I wasn't all to happy to see you but now, I am grateful you came to our aid." Lee thinks Gaara was talking to him and extends his hand out for the red-head to take. Gaara stares at him for a moment, nods and shakes his hand.   
Sigyn and Gaara make eye-contact for a split second before they both quickly turned away. "Yes, thank you Gaara-san." The girl meekly says and continues, "I hope Naruto is ok. Maybe I should go look for him."   
"No need to worry for Naruto. I saw his sensei, Kakashi I believe, go after him. I'm sure he's fine." Gaaras' words calm her down a bit.   
Sighing, she replies, "Yes, I don't doubt he's fine. He's an idiot but very resilient." Sigyn releases an awkward laugh. "There, that should do it." She finishes with her healing and removes herself from Lees' side and stands up. "Let's go back and check on the others. I'm worried." The two males nod and they all start making their way back into the forest.   
Gaara and Lee become engrossed in conversation as Sigyn goes back to berating herself. Lost in depressing thoughts, she falls behind the two males as now she is walking at a slower pace. A couple of minutes later, she fails to notice Gaara standing next to her. 'Useless, pathetic and should have done more to help,' were only a few of the things crossing her mind.   
Gaara clears his throat to gain her attention. She is startled but says nothing. Sigyn looks ahead and notices Lee is a few paces ahead of Gaara and her. The red-head hesitates for a moment before asking, "why did you call out for me?"   
Sigyn is confused but soon realizes what he means. " Oh! You mean when I was afraid you were a goner to Kimimaro." When she processed what she just said, the girl blushes deeply. "Not that you weren't strong enough or anything! I was, I mean, he was so close to you I thought, well, ah I'm sorry, I was afraid I'd lose you." She looks away from him. Her gradually heating face becoming a burden.   
Gaara is unsure of how to respond or feel. No one had ever said they were afraid of losing him before. A shrill voice enters his mind. 'Told you she likes you.' Ignoring Shukaku, the red-head replies with a 'thank you.' Shukaku laughs inside Gaaras' mind. 'Tell her you've kept all her letters. That'll make her happy. Or perhaps, think you're a creep.' He laughs once more before an irritated Gaara shuts him out.   
Sigyn turns to him and gives a small smile. "No need! We're friends right? Of course I'll worry about you and you'll probably get annoyed with me." Again another awkward laugh. Gaara remains silent, which only fuels the girls' anxiety about what he must think of her.   
"We'll see." Was his only response after a few seconds.


End file.
